MONTREAL — With the province of Quebec walloped by at least 15 inches of snow in the last few days followed by plunging temperatures, VIA Rail Canada management delayed Sunday’s eastbound and westbound Montreal-Halifax Ocean by 13 hours rather than cancel one of the trains.
Additional blowing snow — about 27 inches is now on the ground — and temperatures hovering below 0 degrees Fahrenheit caused numerous cancellations on VIA’s Quebec-Windsor corridor [see “Weather leads Amtrak to cancel…,” News Wire Feb. 17, 2025].
With Sunday’s westbound Ocean already en route across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the decision was made to hold the train overnight at the crew-change point of Campbellton, N.B., until 1 p.m. local time today (Feb. 17) after arriving from Halifax about 10 p.m. Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, eastbound Ocean No. 14 departed Montreal at 7:30 a.m. Monday morning instead of 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Coordinating the schedules in this way allows eastern Quebec operating crews to return to their home bases of Sainte-Foy and Campbellton when the two trains meet between Rimouski and Trois-Pistoles, Que. Reports to News Wire indicate that passengers were allowed to remain onboard, with food service provided.
The rare daytime run through rural eastern Quebec means both trains will reach their destinations around midnight or later, barring any other significant delays. The next departures from Montreal and Halifax are Wednesday, giving shop forces additional time to maintain the equipment.
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